


Constant

by Redpanda18



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha Mark Lee (NCT), Alpha Nakamoto Yuta, Alpha Suh Youngho | Johnny, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Misunderstandings, Omega Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung, Omega Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Osaki Shotaro-centric, Pack Dynamics, alpha sungchan, omega shotaro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29503008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redpanda18/pseuds/Redpanda18
Summary: Sungchan doesn’t mean to come in between two of NCT’s popular ships, he just kinda does? He doesn’t think he’s really doing that much, but Markhyuk and Chenji disagree. The dynamics of the groups are already complicated with unsaid feelings and secondary genders thrown into the mix. Will Sungchan end up breaking or making these pairings, and what does this mean for his own relationship with Shotaro?
Relationships: Jung Sungchan & Osaki Shotaro, Jung Sungchan/Osaki Shotaro, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Osaki Shotaro, Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin/Osaki Shotaro, Mark Lee/Osaki Shotaro, Nakamoto Yuta/Osaki Shotaro, Osaka Shotaro/everyone, Osaki Shotaro & Everyone, Osaki Shotaro/Park Jisung, Osaki Shotaro/Zhong Chen Le, Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le
Comments: 17
Kudos: 108





	1. Mark/Donghyuck

**Author's Note:**

> The timeline of this story is not accurate! It does not follow what actually happened in real life because I know that Shotaro and Sungchan joined in November but this story takes longer than that time span.

Donghyuk has always been a constant in Mark’s life. They’ve known each other forever, trained together, debuted together, are still idols together. Donghyuk has been by his side even after they fought and even after people kept coming and going. It’s just a given fact that the two of them go together, but maybe that’s part of the problem. Maybe Mark has been taking their relationship for granted. He’s always just assumed that Donghyuk would stick by him, but now something’s changed.

To be honest, things had been changing for a while now. Mark had started clinging to Winwin and Johnny more and hadn’t really thought about how it might have affected Donghyuk. He hadn’t really been spending that much time with his best friend but it hadn’t really been affecting him that much so he hadn’t thought too much of it. Donghyuk continued to cling to him, maybe a little more than usual the few times he’d seen Mark, and Mark really should have picked up on the change earlier.

The only reason he’s realizing all this now is that he has competition. Mark’s never really felt the need to compete with the other members before, but that was before Sungchan joined. It’s not that Mark hates the kid, he’s talented and kind, but he’s coming in between and Donghyuk. The other boy has been eagerly following Donghyuk around, hanging out with him, and joining in on his antics. He even called Donghyuk cute on the radio! On the other hand, Donghyuk has been happily taking care of Sungchan and clinging to him like he used to cling to Mark.

For once, the constant in Mark’s life is being threatened, and he’s terrified. He can’t lose Donghyuk. It’s not that Mark owns or has ever owned Donghyuk just because he’s an alpha, but it would be like losing another part of himself rather than a possession. 

He may be kind of obsessed with his Donghyuk problem right now, but he’s not so oblivious that he doesn’t see the effect on the other members, mainly Shotaro. Sungchan and Shotaro debuted together, they’re close, maybe more than the others realize. Mark can see that Sungchan and Donghyuk’s growing relationship is also hurting the Japanese boy. He sees the disappointment behind the other boy’s happy facade whenever Sungchan chooses to hang out with Donghyuk over him.

Mark knows how painful it is and he feels for the other. Shotaro, unfortunately, has to share a room with Sungchan, Mark has been saved from that at least. Even though he hasn’t spent much time with Shotaro, it’s easy to spend time with him and dote on him as the other hyungs do. He’s cute, super-nice, and hard-working, there’s not much to not like.

In short, Mark’s been spending more time with Shotaro and the hyungs and Donghyuk has been spending his time with Sungchan and the other Dreamies. Mark would say he’s just doing it to give Donghyuk space, but that would be a lie. He isn’t sure how to act around his best friend anymore. The rapper sighs as he trudges down the hall towards the kitchen. When he glances into the living room on his way, he suddenly spies Sungchan and Donghyuk in the living room. Donghyuk does sleep on the 127 floor occasionally, but Sungchan for sure does not. The other boy is rooming with Shotaro in the Dream dorm. The two of them are playing some kind of video game and Mark feels jealousy pang at his heart. He would give anything to go back to the way things were.

The older boy pretends not to notice the pair as he busies himself in the kitchen. He even makes sure not to cook anything involving the stove or oven in fear that he would mess up and draw attention to himself. As he’s getting out the bread, he suddenly hears Sungchan yell and whips his head around to see what’s happening. 

“Hyung! Why did you kill me?!” Sungchan whines.

“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to, you just walked in front of me!” Donghyuk answers playfully.

Mark can’t hear what Sungchan says next, but he can see the pout on his face and hears Donghyuk’s loud reply.

“Hyung is sorry! I’ll let you kill me, here I’ll just stand here.”

“It’s ok, you’re too cute to be mad at. I’ll let you live,” Sungchan answers.

Donghyuk coos at him and then proceeds to drape himself all over the young alpha’s arm while calling him cute the whole time. It does not sit well with Mark’s stomach, and by the time he knows what’s happening, the plate he’s just gotten out has fallen to the floor and shattered to pieces.  _ Great. So much for not making a scene _ . 

“Mark-hyung! I didn’t know you were there! Are you ok?” Donghyuk asks rapidly as he hurries over to assess the damage.

The omega quickly bends down to help Mark clean up the glass, and that’s when he realizes the change in the other boy’s scent. It’s bitter and Donghyuk finds himself wrinkling his nose slightly. When he looks up to get a better look at Mark, he finds the alpha practically burning a hole into the floor with a frown plastered on his face. 

“Mark, are you ok?” The omega whispers.

“I’m fine,” comes the curt reply. “You can go back to playing with Sungchan.”

  
  
Donghyuk pauses as he thinks over Mark’s answer.  _ Is there a double meaning? What does Mark mean by “playing” with Sungchan? Am I reading too much into this? I mean he does look pretty angry though.  _

Subconsciously, Donghyuk starts releasing some of his honey scent to try and calm the atmosphere. Unfortunately, it ends up doing more harm than good as Sungchan is the one to point it out. He even stops hovering by the kitchen entrance and crouches down next to them to help before he says anything. 

“Hyuk-hyung, is that your scent?”

  
  
“What?” Donghyuk looks up, surprised. 

Sungchan takes a long breath in and then smiles at the omega.

“It smells like really sweet honey, I like it!”   
  
The vocalist goes to respond, but then he sees Mark’s dark reaction and decides to change course. He knows that he and Mark haven’t exactly been close lately, but it still bothers him when Mark is going through a tough time.  _ They’re still friends, right? Mark would come to him if he needed something, right? _

“Thanks Sungchan!” Donghyuk replies, “I’m going to help Mark finish cleaning this up, it’s easier with fewer people could you just wait for me in the living room?”   
  
Fortunately, Sungchan doesn’t seem to take offense to Donghyuk’s answer and he immediately complies.

“Sure! Let me know if you need anything!”

And with that, the other boy heads back to the living room and Donghyuk and Mark are left alone. The alpha is quiet, unnervingly so, as he picks up the small pieces and dumps them into the trash can. He looks almost haunted, and Donghyuk isn’t sure why. Asking the other if something is wrong is pointless because something is wrong, so he needs to change his approach. Donghyuk waits until Mark’s scent is more stable and until Sungchan is mostly distracted before saying anything.    


  
“Hyung?” the omega tries. Mark doesn’t even look up and Donghyuk would be lying if he said it doesn’t hurt. 

_ Ok. I guess it’s like that then.  _ Donghyuk sighs and something about it must grab Mark’s attention because he finally looks up. The two of them hold awkward eye contact before it’s Mark’s turn to sigh. The rapper runs a frustrated hand through his hair and Donghyuk has to fight the urge to ruffle his hair or tease him for being cute. Instead, the omega waits patiently, even after Mark finishes collecting the last few pieces of glass, which probably isn’t the best idea to be doing with bare hands. 

From the looks of it, Mark does want to say something, but he’s trying to think of how to say it. Donghyuk holds out hope the entire time. Mark stands a couple of moments later and Donghyuk follows. The alpha turns to look down the hallway and then looks back at Donghyuk.  _ He’s having some internal crisis _ , Donghyuk notes. Mark does the back and forth glance again, but his gaze lingers on the omega’s face this time. Donghyuk prepares himself for a reply as he stares back, except, the reply never comes. Before he knows it, Mark is already gone and is shutting the door to his shared room.

Donghyuk is left speechless, confused, and kind of angry.  _ What did I even do? _

“Donghyuk-hyung?” A voice asks. 

The omega looks to his right and sees Sungchan looking at him with worried eyes.

“I’m fine,” he says immediately as he makes his way back over to the sofa. 

He purposefully ignores Sungchan’s questions after he sits down until Sungchan mentions something about his scent again.

“What about my scent?” 

“It’s not bad or anything! Y-you just smell kind of...sad,” the alpha trails off.

Donghyuk softens up at that and gives Sungchan a weak smile.

“I’ll be ok, don’t worry about me!”   
  
And with that, the conversation is over. Donghyuk wants to fix things with Mark, but he can’t exactly do that when the two of them aren’t talking. He’ll just have to lay low for now.

  
  


* * *

“Do you think he’s doing it on purpose?”   
  
“Mark, no. He just joined, he probably doesn’t know that he’s upsetting you. Sungchan’s still trying to find his place in the group, and as a young alpha,” Doyoung reasons. 

Mark groans as he leans back against the restaurant booth. 

“But Shotaro just joined too and he’s not acting like this!” The alpha protests.

“Mark, Shotaro, and Sungchan are two different people. They have different personalities,” Johnny jumps in. 

At that response, Mark frowns and then takes a long drink of his coffee so he doesn’t have to say anything else.

“Shotaro, how are you doing?” Yuta asks calmly from beside the omega. 

“I’m ok.”

“Ok?” Yuta questions worriedly.

“Sungchannie hanging out with Haechannie hasn’t changed anything,” Shotaro lies. “He’s still my friend.”

  
  
“That’s a good way of thinking of it,” Doyoung says.

  
  
Mark sighs from across the table.

  
  
“Taro, you make me look bad when you say it like that!”   
  
Shotaro laughs as he knows Mark isn’t really mad. However, he didn’t say that to upstage Mark, he said it because he’s in denial. He’s still having a hard time getting over Sungchan’s actions lately. Even though they’re roommates and even though they debuted together, Shotaro doesn’t see much of the other boy anymore. He’s too busy hanging out with Donghyuk and the other Dream members now. Of course, Shotaro also hangs out with Dream, but it’s almost never  _ with  _ Sungchan anymore. 

Shotaro can’t remember the last time they did something together, with just the two of them. Lately, Sungchan’s been postponing his plans with Shotaro and some of the others just to hang out with Donghyuk. It’s frustrating and painful, but Shotaro doesn’t own him. The alpha is allowed to have other friends, even if it does suck for the omega sometimes.

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Yuta whispers in Japanese. 

Shotaro puts on his signature smile and nods at his hyung. Yuta doesn’t seem convinced, but he thankfully lets it go. Once Yuta looks away, Shotaro suddenly makes eye contact with Mark. The two hold the gaze for only a few seconds, a mutual understanding between them before Shotaro looks away first. 

“Mark, if this is really bothering you so much, why don’t you just talk to them?”

  
  
“I can’t! I don’t want Hyuk to think I’m one of those weird possessive alphas. And I don’t want to hurt Sungchan. I mean I may not like him at the moment, but I don’t want to hurt him.”

  
  
“Donghyuk’s not going to think you’re one of those weird possessive alphas,” Doyoung soothes. “And if you don’t want to hurt Sungchan, then talk to him. Not saying anything is probably worse.”

“Why is this so hard?” 

“It’s ok, you can do it!” Johnny tries to encourage as he slaps the other boy’s arm.

“It won’t be hard after you talk,” Yuta adds.

  
Mark mumbles something under his breath that none of them can hear until Doyoung asks him to repeat it louder and more clearly. 

“I said, I don’t think I can do it,” Mark repeats softly.

“Why not?”

  
  
“I know it seems weird, but I feel like I almost deserve this you know? What if this is happening because I wasn’t spending a lot of time with him before? Now that Sungchan’s joined he finally has another friend, someone who will actually pay attention to him. How can I take that away?”

  
  
The alpha finishes his desperate speech with a longing sigh and movies his eyes to stare at the cool surface of the table. Mark’s emotions are going haywire right now and it’s causing his scent to fluctuate as well. Unfortunately, the rapper is too busy staring at the table to realize what’s happening. Doyoung and Shotaro shrink back a bit when the scent hits them, and even the other alphas at the table wrinkle their noses.

“Mark, hey,” Johnny calls.”

The younger boy looks up solemnly. 

“I doubt that you deserve what’s happening. I’m sure that a big part of this is just a misunderstanding. Yeah, maybe the loss of contact you’ve had with Hyuk has contributed, but I don’t think that you deserve to lose him. You and Hyuk have been friends forever, I’m sure that he doesn’t want to lose you either. Also, you won’t be taking one of Donghyuk’s friends away if you talk to him about this. Sungchan can still spend time with him.”

There’s silence as Mark contemplates Johnny’s answer and the rest of them busy themselves with their drinks or small talk. Shotaro is also busy thinking over the consequences of what would happen if Mark talked to Donghyuk. The best-case scenario would be that the two would make up, and then Sungchan would be able to spend more time with him again. It’s selfish, but it’s what he wants. The omega even considers just talking to Sungchan himself but then decides against it after really thinking about it and psyching himself out.

Eventually, Mark snaps out of it and hesitantly agrees to talk to Donghyuk soon. He only ends up agreeing after the hyungs gently threaten to tell Donghyuk himself how Mark is feeling if the alpha doesn’t within two days. It’s both endearing and intimidating. After that, they finish up their meals, pay, and then head out. 

The drive back to the dorms is filled with light chatter and Shotaro finds himself drifting off into a light sleep. He doesn’t want to fall all the way asleep in case the others say something important. When they finally make it back, Shotaro expects Yuta to walk him back to the Dream dorm-like usual, but it’s actually Mark who volunteers instead. The others look just as surprised as he is and Mark is flustered as he rushes to explain himself. 

“Guys calm down, I just need to talk to Shotaro. We’ll just talk as I take him back.”

  
  
“That sounds really suspicious,” Yuta comments. 

“It’s not bad, ok! Can I not just have some quality time with my dongsaeng?!” 

Before the argument can continue, Shotaro quickly speaks up.

“It’s fine! I’m ok with it! Yuta-senpai, we’ll be ok,” Shotaro reassures when he sees the look the older boy gives him. 

Just for good measure, Shotaro makes sure to direct his smile at Yuta and watches as the other immediately crumples.

“Ok, fine. Mark, you better text me when you’ve dropped Taro off and when you’re on your way back.”

  
  
“Got it.”   
  
After that, the two parties part ways and Mark attaches himself to Shotaro’s side.The omega fiddles with his necklace for a few minutes while Mark gathers his thoughts, but the longer the silence stretches the more nervous Shotaro gets.  _ Why does Mark want to talk to me? Did I do something wrong?  _ When Mark suddenly reaches out and puts a hand on his shoulder to stop Shotaro, the omega jumps in surprise.

“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  
  
“It’s ok, I was just...thinking.”

  
  
“Taro, listen,” Mark starts as he places another hand on his shoulder and gets Shotaro to face him. 

The omega looks up at him with wide eyes and that’s when Mark also realizes his vanilla scent is sharpening with anxiety. The alpha then awkwardly decides at the last second to bring the other in for a hug. Shotaro is stiff at first, probably because he’s confused, but then he sinks into it. Physical affection is Donghyuk’s thing, and at this moment Mark is glad that he’s learned yet another thing from Donghyuk’s clingy nature. After Shotaro’s scent has stabilized Mark decides to scent mark him really quick before pressuring him again.

He gently rubs his cheek over the top of Shotaro’s head and releases some of his pheromones in the process. The omega sighs in content before starting to pull away and Mark lets him go. Shotaro looks slightly embarrassed and Mark laughs playfully at him.

“Not used to being scented?”

  
  
“Not really. My family doesn’t really do it so you guys are the first to really scent me. I like it though!”

“Good, because I’m sure the other hyungs like it just as much as I do. It’s a pack thing, and if you ever want to scent any of us just let us know.”

  
  
“Ok!”

  
  
“Anyway, Taro, I wanted to ask you something kind of personal. Sorry I overwhelmed you earlier and you can totally not answer this if you’re not comfortable.”

  
  
“It’s ok, it wasn’t just you. I have other things on my mind. What did you want to ask?” Shotaro replies curiously.

“Do you...like Sungchan?”

  
  
Shotaro feels his heart sink into his stomach, but he tries to play it off.

“I mean yeah, we’re friends?” He says innocently.

“No. Like... in a romantic way.” At the omega’s panicked look Mark quickly scrambles to explain. “I’m only asking because the way you two interact reminds me of how Hyuk and I used to be. Not like anything has changed a whole lot, but I’m more aware. Also, don’t worry that you’re obvious! You’re not! It’s just that I can tell it’s deeper than just friendship. I mean I could be wrong though, I just wanted to ask.”

  
  
Shotaro averts his eyes and stares off into space for a few moments before replying.

“How did you know?” He asks softly. 

Mark gives him a sympathetic smile as he pulls Shotaro in for a side hug.

  
  
“I think that it’s easier to spot these things when it’s not you. I have the outside and inside perspective. I’m sure that you’ve been able to see through my feelings for Donghyuk, am I right?”

  
  
“I mean yeah, you’re not exactly subtle,” Shotaro teases. “But anyway, it’s not going to happen. I thought Sungchan might like me back, but then he started hanging out with Donghyuk hyung and now I barely see him anymore! There’s no way he likes me. I must have read too much into it.”

“I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion just yet. Tell you what, I’m going to talk to Donghyuk tomorrow. Hopefully, by then Donghyuk will be spending more time with me and then you’ll be free to talk to Sungchan. Listen, I’m not going to pressure you like the hyungs did to me, but you should talk to him. Please?”   
  


Shotaro closes his eyes and sighs, but he knows Mark is right. 

“Ok. I’ll try.”

  
  
“Ok, good! And don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help.”

  
  
Mark waits until Shotaro is safely in the building before texting Yuta like he promised and heading back to the 127 building. He’s going to need all the rest he can get if he’s going to talk to Donghyuk tomorrow. It’s finally time to clear things up.

  
  


* * *

Donghyuk is chilling in his room with Sungchan when he hears a soft knock at the door. He can smell Mark’s distinct scent of pine outside and tries to calm his racing heart. He can’t act like anything’s up. He is confused as to why Mark is here, but he needs to act naturally.

“Come in!” He yells without looking up from his phone.

A second later the door opens and Mark is revealed. The alpha is wearing a soft grey hoodie and jeans and Donghyuk wants nothing more than to just cuddle with him. His hair looks so soft and he’s wearing that nervous yet goofy smile that Donghyuk adores.

“Hey Hyuk, can I talk to you quickly?”

“Yeah, sure.”

  
  
The omega turns off his phone before tossing it on his bed and then heading towards the door. Sungchan gives the two of them a curious look but fortunately doesn’t comment. He just waves at Donghyuk before the other steps out of the room. The omega quietly closes the door behind him and looks into the alpha’s face.

“You wanted to talk?”

  
  
“Yeah. Umm, can we talk in my room?”

  
  
Donghyuk looks reasonably shocked at his reply. After all, the two haven’t hung out together in a while, especially not in Mark’s room like they used to all the time.

“Ok.”

Mark smiles hopefully at him and Donghyuk isn’t sure what to make of that. The two walk down the hallway two rooms down and then Mark gestures for Donghyuk to enter before doing so himself and then shutting the door. The omega slowly looks around and smiles when he realizes that nothing’s changed.

“Something wrong?” Mark asks nervously.

  
  
“No! Everything’s good. It’s just the same.”

  
  
“Oh ok! Do you want to sit?”   


  
The rapper gestures to his semi-made bed and Donghyuk gently takes a seat. He observes as Mark attempts to “clean” off his desk by shoving some of the items off of it and pushing some of the clothes to the side. It’s so Mark-like that the omega can’t help smirking. He knows the other is just procrastinating because he’s nervous, so he lets him. He doesn’t want to rush whatever Mark has to say to him.

Eventually, the alpha finishes moving things around and finally moves to sit on the bed beside Donghyuk. The vocalist looks into the older boy’s face, searching for answers until he finally blurts something out. 

“I’m sorry. I know I’m no good at this “talking” thing, but I want to try. I tried to make it sound all nice yesterday, but now I can’t even remember what I said! So I guess I’ll just wing it. I’m sorry I started pulling away. I know that I wasn’t spending a lot of time with you before and I’m sorry, I just caught up in things and didn’t realize I was ignoring you. I guess I just always assumed you’d be there and then Sungchan joined and then you started spending all your time with him and I just lost you. I’m not just saying all this just because I’m jealous, I mean I am jealous but that isn’t the only reason I’m talking to you. Like, you’re your own person and you can hang out with whoever you want, but-,”

“Mark!” Donghyuk laughs as he interrupts the other boy’s rant. 

“It’s ok. Well, it’s not ok but I forgive you and I guess I’m also at fault too.”

  
  
At Mark’s confused glance, Donghyuk continues.

“I also could have talked to you and told you that I was bothered by you not hanging out with me anymore. And maybe I was also a little jealous.”   
  
“You were jealous?” The alpha asks incredulously.

“Hey! You don’t get to say anything you were too!”

“Ok ok ok! You’re right.”

  
  
“Soooo,” Donghyuk drawls.

“So?”

  
  
“Why were you so jealous? It sounds like this is about something more than just us not hanging out together as much.”

  
  
_ Damn he’s perceptive. I should have known he’d suspect something. _

“Ummmm.”

Mark almost loses all his courage as he looks into Donghyuk’s truthful eyes and takes note of his hopeful expression. He’s so close and all the rapper wants to do is reach out and touch him, and maybe kiss him, but he does have to confess first. Luckily, his brain decides to start functioning again and he’s able to push down some of his fear.

“I want to be your boyfriend,” is what he ends up spouting. 

_ Great job. Now I look like a fool!  _ The second he says it Mark turns away and looks at the door, wondering how fast he would have to run to escape this tension. A moment later though, he hears muffled laughter and turns back just to see Donghyuk trying, and failing not to laugh. At least he’s not angry though. Then, the omega quickly composes himself before making eye contact with Mark again, though he still has a playful smile on his face.

“I mean, that’s one way to confess. Also, I may or may not have been hanging out with Sungchan on purpose.”

  
  
“What,” the alpha deadpans.

“Obviously, I want to make him feel welcome, and taking care of him just comes so easily. But hanging out with him was also a distraction from how I was feeling about you and then before I knew it we were just doing stuff together all the time. I was trying to make you jealous at first, but then hanging out with Sungchan just became so natural and I’m sorry. I guess I went too far. Also, Sungchan also comes to me with his issues and so we just became each others’ coping buddies.”   
  
“Huh. Well, that is not what I thought you were going to say. For what it’s worth, I forgive you too. I guess we’re both just idiots.”   
  
“Yeah. Also, I’d like you to be my boyfriend too!”   
  
“Wh-,”

Before Mark can even finish his word, there’s a soft pair of lips on his, and who is he not to kiss back? He’s got his eyes closed, but it makes the experience so much better. Donghyuk’s moved one of his hands to pull on his hair and the other is resting on Mark’s chest while Mark has one hand on the omega’s thigh and the other on the bed to prop them up. At some point during their make-out session, Donghyuk had ended up pushing Mark back and now he’s comfortably laying on top of the alpha. Their session had slowed down after the two of them had to break for air and now Mark is just giving the other soft kisses as the other purrs on his chest. 

Mark cards a hand through Donghyuk’s soft locks from his position on the older boy’s chest and the omega plays with the rapper’s free hand. 

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” Donghyuk smiles.

“You have?”

  
  
“Yeah, but I didn’t think you were into me.”

  
“I’m sorry, I guess I should have said something sooner.”

  
“Yeah, you dork!”   


  
“Hey! You also could have said something! Also how long have you known?”

  
  
“I know I’m just teasing, and I’ve known for about four years now. You?”   


  
“I think I had feelings for you long before but was just in denial. If we’re talking about how long I’ve actually been aware of them then I guess like a year, maybe more.”

  
  
Donghyuk stops purring just for a little bit to hum in acknowledgment. 

“Well I’m glad we’ve finally got it together.”   
  
“Me too.”   
  
“Hey Markie.”   
  
“Yeah?”   
  
“I’m not mad or anything. But Sungchan came to me this morning pretty upset about something. Apparently, Shotaro came back smelling like you and the two of them kind of fought, well sort of. Sungchan asked him about it but Shotaro wasn’t in the mood to talk so they just dropped it for now.”

“Oh,” Mark’s heart goes out to Shotaro. “I mean I did scent him yesterday because he was really anxious after I had asked him about something personal, but I didn’t think it was that strong?”

“Oh, is he ok?”

  
  
“Umm, he will be after he talks with Sungchan I think.”   


Donghyuk makes a knowing sound.

“Those two like each other, don’t they?”   


Mark sighs and it tickles the top of Donghyuk’s head. 

“You’re too smart for your own good.”

  
  
“Maybe, but you love it!”   


  
“I do,” Mark confirms.

“Well, it’s not one-sided. Sungchan may not realize it yet, but I’m pretty sure he likes Shotaro back if their “fight” is anything to go off of. Before the two of us started hanging out a lot I thought it was pretty obvious that Sungchan was into Shotaro.”

“Really? Should we help them?”

  
  
“Yes, but let’s not push them. It looks like Sungchan isn’t quite there yet.”   


  
“Ok, that’s fair.”

  
  
“Alright, enough thinking! More cuddling!” Donghyuk demands, and of course, Mark indulges him.

Who is he to deny his boyfriend?

  
  



	2. Jisung/Chenle

Chenle and Jisung, Jisung and Chenle, Chenji, JiChen, the two of them have always been together. They even have their own show! The two of them together have always been constant, and even though Chenle may tease Jisung all the time, he thought the other boy knew it was a joke. Every time he’s chosen the other members over Jisung when he’s been asked to pick a favorite or something similar, he never really meant it. It’s always been Jisung, and it always will be. Jisung knows Chenle likes him the best, right? Maybe not. 

Now that he’s on the other end, Chenle is starting to understand the conflicting emotions. After Jisung chose Sungchan over him in that Vlive, Chenle started thinking about their relationship, like  _ really  _ thinking. He’s 99% sure that Jisung only chose Sungchan over him as a joke, but there’s 1% of him that thinks maybe Jisung really does like Sungchan better. There’s 1% of him that’s terrified that Jisung did it because he’s fed up with how Chenle’s been treating him. It’s not a fun thought. 

He’s done his best to act normal around Jisung, but it’s hard now that Sungchan’s been hanging around the two of them even more. Sungchan had stopped hanging out with Donghyuk so much after the older boy had announced that he and Mark were dating two days ago, finally. Unfortunately, that means that Sungchan has been seeking out other people, and other people happen to be Jisung and Chenle, but mainly Jisung. Chenle thought he’d go back to hanging with Shotaro, but now those two seem to be “fighting,” if you could even call it that. 

Shotaro can rarely be seen interacting with Sungchan nowadays and they’ve all noticed, except the person in question. Sungchan doesn’t seem to be taking Shotaro’s silence very seriously and the rest of them can’t tell if it’s because he’s trying to give the other space or if he’s just oblivious. Shotaro has even taken to sleeping with some of the other dream members and the hyungs, specifically Yuta hyung. 

Chenle wants to help, and it’s not just because if he actually got things together with Sungchan then he would have Jisung back. He feels for the other, crushing on someone who has no idea, not that he’s really done anything to fix his own situation, but he understands. He sees the way Shotaro pines after Sungchan and recognizes it in his own behavior. They’re both whipped.

It’s the third week in a row that Jisung spent hanging out with Sungchan, and Chenle finally decides to do something, sort of. It may have only been three weeks since he’s spent real quality time with Jisung outside of work and practice, but it’s been much longer since the two of them have started drifting apart.

Ever since that stupid Vlive where Jisung jokingly chose Sungchan over him, there’s been a weird barrier preventing Chenle from acting normal around his best friend. If he’s being honest though, the vocalist knows that he’s the one creating the barrier. He does have  _ some  _ self-awareness. His plan to kind of do something is even a result of that, not that it's the best, most foolproof plan, but it’s a step.

Since Sungchan’s been spending a lot of time with Jisung lately, Chenle’s had to seek out other members to bother. Lately, he’s been confiding in Kun, Mark, and Donghyuk since the two are always together now, and Shotaro for obvious reasons. So far, his plan only consists of complaining to his hyungs and giving Jisung space. Well, the giving Jisung space is actually more for Chenle’s sanity than it is for giving Jisung time to miss his presence. The plan isn’t very bold like he usually is, but the omega doesn’t think he could handle that right now.

The plan is also horribly ineffective. The more time Chenle spends with his hyungs, the more time Jisung spends with Sungchan, so he’s pretty much gotten nowhere. The omega lets out a frustrated puff of air as he paces the room. He’s getting absolutely nowhere with Jisung and it’s getting pretty demoralizing, maybe he should just stop. He would rather just be friends with Jisung than continue with this radio silence. 

That decides it, he’s setting a deadline for himself. He has to talk to Jisung by the end of the week, or he’s going to tell his hyungs to drag him to talk to his friend. For now though, he needs a walk. The vocalist then switches gears and moves to find some warmer clothes, his shoes, and Shotaro. His fellow omega became his walking buddy recently after he ran into the other in the park after practice. They had both been there for the same reason, to clear their minds, and ever since then, it had become their little routine. They don’t always do it right after practice, just whenever they both need to get out or they both want to talk.

It’s also safer for them to travel together so it works out in many ways. Chenle shoots off a quick text to his hyung and gets a reply almost immediately. Shotaro says that he’ll meet Chenle outside the WAYV dorm where the latter is currently hanging out. He was talking with Kun and Yangyang earlier, but then they had to leave so Chenle had resorted to pacing to cope with all his thoughts. Yeah, he needs to get out.

Five minutes later, Chenle is all bundled up and ready to go when the doorbell rings. He practically jumps out of the dorm when Shotaro opens it and asks if he’s ready.

“I’ll take that as a yes!” The other laughs brightly.

“Yes,” the omega confirms, “I  _ need  _ to get out of here!”

The weather isn’t too cold, but it’s definitely crisp and Chenle is glad he brought a decent jacket. Next to him, Shotaro is wearing an even heavier jacket than he is.

“Are you cold?”   
  
“Kind of, but I’m always cold,” the rapper admits.

“Then I’ll share my jacket with you!”   
  
“No it’s ok! I’m fine, really! Keep your jacket!”   
  
Shotaro reaches out and stops Chenle before he can fully shed himself of his outerwear. He’s touched that the other would do that for him, but he also doesn’t want the younger to catch a cold. When the younger boy pouts at him a second later, Shotaro smiles as he ruffles his hair affectionately. It’s easy to dote on Chenle, after all, he’ll always be the baby omega they all love even when he’s thirty. 

By the time they reach the park, they’re both already in a better mood. Chenle’s cheered up considerably and is brightly rambling on about some mobile game he loves while Shotaro listens contently. They may be opposite personality-wise, but they get along quite well. Shotaro is content just listening but he also knows that Chenle is entirely willing to let Shotaro talk when he needs to. 

They start their usual route which is just the concrete path around the park and just talk about whatever is on their minds. Chenle talks the most and talks about everything from his skincare routine, to his mobile games, to his family, to Jisung. Shotaro notes that 90% of his rant is about Jisung, it’s ok though he understands. However, there’s something slightly different about the way Chenle’s talking today. He’s not as whiney and mopey as he can sometimes get, he’s almost reflective and resigned. 

Shotaro decides not to press the younger about it though until they sit down, plus he’s still in the middle of talking about how Sungchan and Jisung were making a TikTok the other day. Wait-

  
  


“They made a TikTok together?”

Chenle stops in his tracks once he realizes that his hyung has stopped moving and looks at him. Shotaro has an unreadable expression on his face as he stares at his feet. His vanilla scent has started to dampen and become more potent reflecting his true emotions. Chenle stopped calling Shotaro hyung a while ago because of their recent closeness, but something about the situation makes him add it on again.

“Taro-hyung? He asks gently.

When Chenle moves to put a comforting hand on the older boy’s arm, he suddenly steps back out of reach and Chenle slowly pulls his hand back. He waits patiently as Shotaro spends a few seconds composing himself before doing anything. He wishes the rapper would share what’s wrong, but he also understands how hard it can be to share what you’re really feeling. The best he can do is just offer his presence. Eventually, Shotaro lets out a sigh and then takes a quick glance at his surroundings before locking eyes with Chenle.

“Thanks,” the other says gratefully as he steps forward and gives the other omega a quick hug.

“I didn’t really do anything?”

“You did! Sorry, I just got caught off guard when you said Sungchan and Jisung made a TikTok. I just-, I thought that doing TikTok was  _ our  _ thing. Not that I own TikTok but I really enjoy doing it and Sunghchan and I used to do it all the time,” Shotaro admits sadly.

“I know what you mean. Jisungie-,” Chenle pauses as the nickname rolls off his tongue but then repeats it again anyway. “Jisungie and I used to play games all the time together after dinner. He wasn’t great at most of them, but he still played with me anyway. Actually, I’m pretty sure he let me win at the ones I was bad at because he knows I’m competitive!”   
  
Shotaro smiles at his confession and watches as Chenle continues to gush about the maknae. It’s cute. When the omega finishes, they’re about halfway done with their route but Shotaro thinks they should end early. It’s getting dark and it’s almost dinner time. 

“Do you want to just cut across here and sit on the swings?”

“Sure!”   
  
There’s a moment of silence where Chenle simply makes quick eye contact with Shotaro before the two of them are sprinting across the grass, each trying to outrun the other. Shotaro hasn’t run this fast in a while, the younger boy really is competitive. Unfortunately, Chenle is moving so fast that he doesn’t have enough time to stop when they reach the edge of the park. His right foot catches on the concrete lip and he goes down. Fortunately, Shotaro is right behind him, and he quickly pulls the omega to his feet.

“Are you ok?” The rapper laughs.

“I’m good! I didn’t see the edge, but it’s worth it because I won!”

Shotaro shakes his head exasperatedly.

“You really didn’t hurt yourself?” 

“I don’t think so let me check.”   
  
Chenle takes off his jacket and then rolls up his right sleeve to inspect his right arm. There’s a red burn on the back of his arm but it doesn’t look too bad. Chenle can barely feel it, it’s honestly really similar to a rug burn. However, Shotaro is not impressed. He tsks as he gently takes Chenle’s arm and takes a look for himself.

“Chenle!”

  
  
“What?? It’s not even that bad!”

  
  
“Yeah but it could have been worse, no more racing for today!”

  
  
“Taroooooo don’t mom me like Doyoung and Nana do!” The omega whines.

“I’ll mom you  _ just  _ like Doyoung-hyung and Nana if I have to!” Shotaro responds easily.

The two of them laugh at each other before the Japanese boy makes Chenle put his coat back on again and then the two of them head over to the swings. Shotaro stuffs his hands in his pockets and pushes using his feet while Chenle grabs onto the cold metal.

“Ahh it’s cold!”

“Don’t use your bare hands!” Shotaro scolds.

“But I can’t get high enough if I don’t.”

  
  
“Alright fine.”

  
  
The other lets out one of his infamous dolphin laughs as he puts his whole body into swinging. 

“You better not fall off! I”ll be the one in trouble!” Shotaro yells at him.

“I won’t!”

Sometimes, Shotaro really fears for the other’s safety. Chenle is at the highest point in his swing when he blurts something out again. 

“I’m going to talk to Jisung tomorrow!” The omega yells.

His sentence sounds a little warbled because he yelled while he was in motion, but Shotaro still hears. 

“What!” He yells back. 

Chenle stops putting his whole body into swinging and Shotaro watches as he slowly loses momentum. Eventually, the other boy’s feet touch the ground and drags them along to come to a full stop. Then he sighs before tightening his grip around the swing chains and looks at Shotaro.

“I miss Jisung. I don’t think I can keep giving him space when I know it’s not working and when I know he’s just getting closer to Sungchan.”   
  
Shotaro nods encouragingly and Chenle continues.

“I don’t really know if I’m brave enough to confess yet, but I am going to talk about how I’m feeling. I’d rather go back to being friends than being nothing like I am now.”   
  
“Lele you’re not nothing to him,” the older boy immediately objects.

“Ok yeah, that is a bit dramatic but it sometimes feels like that.”

  
  
Shotaro hums in agreement. “Well, I think that it’s really brave of you. When I tried to “talk” to Sungchan the other day things didn’t go well, but I know things with you and Jisung will. I definitely couldn’t do it again.”

“Wait, when did you talk to Sungchan?”

  
  
“The day after the Mark incident.” 

Chenle immediately clues into what he’s talking about. He’s referring to when Mark scented him a while ago and Sungchan confronted him about it.

“I tried to talk to him about it in the morning, but he was still mad that I brushed him off the other night and I was still mad about him hanging out with Donghyuk so we didn’t get anywhere. We just ended up arguing with each other and then we had to drop it because the others started waking up.”

“I’m sorry.”   
  
“It’s ok it’s not your fault.”

“I know but, I still think that you deserve better. And I don’t think talking with Sungchan again, like really talking it out this time, would be bad. You can do it.”   
  
Shotaro doesn’t talk for a while as he considers what Chenle said. He’s right, Shotaro knows he actually needs to have a serious talk with Sungchan, but he isn’t sure how to start. He isn’t even on speaking terms with the other boy right now. But he also doesn’t want to give up. Just like Chenle misses Jisung, Shotaro misses Sungchan. Even if he isn’t ready to admit his true feelings to the younger, he would also rather be friends than have no relationship. 

“I’ll talk to him,” he says into the silence.

The metal swing squeaks aggressively as Chenle quickly turns his whole body to face him.

“Really!?”

“Yeah really. Just not at the same time you talk to Jisung. Tomorrow is too soon. I think that’s a little more than the dorm can handle for one day, and I need some time to think of what to say.”   
  
“Ok! I think it’ll be good,” Chenle finishes.

“I hope so!”   
  
Just then, Chenle’s phone goes off and startles the two of them. The omega picks it up though and pulls a face once he realizes who’s calling. He says something quick in Chinese which Shotaro doesn’t understand before hanging up and then rising from the swing.

“My mom says I need to come home now, dinner is almost ready. She said she’d pick me up in front of the Dream dorm.”

  
  
“Oh ok. Let’s head back then.”

The walk back to the dorm is filled with light chatter and Shotaro feels a lot better than he has in the past few weeks. His problems obviously aren’t solved, but he kind of has a plan now so it’s better. He wants to fix things with Sungchan, he’s spent too much time just sulking about it and for better or for worse he’s going to do something about it.

When they arrive back at the dorm, Chenle’s mom isn’t there yet so the two of them decide to wait inside. It’s gotten pretty cold so the heated building is welcome. They’re sitting in the comfortable chairs in the lobby area when they suddenly hear elevator doors open. Normally, Shotaro wouldn’t pay any attention to who comes and goes on the elevator, but this time the person who steps is someone he knows, and this time he’s actually facing the elevator.

Sungchan steps out onto the first floor, locks eyes with Shotaro, and freezes. The omega isn’t much better himself, fortunately, Chenle also notices what’s happening and intervenes. He waves at the alpha from his own chair but Shotaro can tell it’s slightly strained. Sungchan seems to snap out of it then and carefully walks towards the pair. The situation is so awkward but none of them really know how to fix it.

When the alpha gets close enough Chenle attempts to engage in small talk.

“Hey Sungchan how’s it going?”

  
  
“Good! Just going out to get snacks really quick. Where have you guys been?”

  
  
Chenle tries to contain his shock at his friend’s question since he didn’t think the alpha noticed they were gone. In his peripheral vision, he can see a similar expression on Shotaro’s face.

“Oh um, we just went to the park for a walk.”

“Oh, cool.”

_ Well this is really awkward,  _ Chenle thinks to himself again. During the lull in their conversation though, he catches Sungchan staring at Shotaro with an unreadable expression. Unfortunately, the other omega is too busy staring at his hands to notice. Chenle can’t even hate on him though with how he’s been acting around Jisung lately. Surprisingly though, Shotaro is the one to speak up just as the silence is becoming suffocating, and it’s not what Chenle thought he’d say.   
  
“Did you eat dinner yet?”

“Me?” Sungchan asks, bewildered. 

His expression is pure gold and Shotaro wishes he had caught it on camera. The alpha looks like a surprised baby deer and it’s honestly pretty funny. He smirks a little at Sungchan’s reaction and he can hear Chenle trying to muffle his laugh beside him.

“Yes.”

  
  
“Ahhh no not yet. Jaemin is actually cooking dinner right now and it should be done soon. I just wanted to buy snacks now since I don’t have time tomorrow.”

  
  
“Oh ok that makes sense. I’ll see you at dinner then?”

  
  
“Yeah!”   
  
Shotaro doesn’t really want to leave Chenle by himself since Sungchan is also leaving, but he needs to get out now. He’s about to die of embarrassment and he needs to use the bathroom. He managed to say something nice to Sungchan because he wants them to work things out and get over what happened the other day. Not treating the alpha coldly was definitely the way to go in terms of breaking the ice, but now he needs time alone to cringe about what he just did.

He looks over at Chenle and tries to convey with his eyes the need to leave and somehow the other understands. 

“Shotaro needs to finish something upstairs but my mom still isn’t here yet…” Chenle trails off.

Luckily, Sungchan picks up on the implied message and volunteers to stay, and with that Shotaro is up and  _ almost  _ running to the elevator.

“I can stay with you!”

“Ok!”

  
  
Sungchan’s eyes follow Shotaro to the elevator until Chenle clears his throat and laughs at him. Sungchan glares at him but he knows it’s not very effective since he’s sure his face is red.

“What?”

“Nothing~.”

“It’s not nothing. Why are you laughing? What’s so funny?”

  
  
“Calm down! It’s not anything bad! I’m glad you and Shotaro are talking again though.”

  
  
At Chenle’s response, Sungchan seems to calm down and he nods in agreement.

“Me too. I felt bad about fighting with him the other day. I was kind of in a bad mood. Anyway, do you and Shotaro go on walks together a lot?”

“Kind of. It’s more of an 'I need to get out to clear my head’ kinda thing than a scheduled walk. But we’ve been doing it pretty frequently recently.” 

“Oh, why? I mean I think it’s a good idea but is something wrong?”

  
_   
_ _ I should not have said that. I didn’t realize he would actually ask more questions! What do I do? I can’t tell him any of Shotaro’s secrets! _

“Ummmm not really,” Chenle tries to play it off cooly. It doesn’t work. He’s bad at lying.

Sungchan gives him a look and Chenle decides to just tell him some basic things the two of them talk about. He can’t get into anything too deep because he doesn’t want to accidentally tell Sungchan one of Shotaro’s secrets.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Chenle says evenly, even though it’s not the case at all. “Things are just getting kind of stressful with variety shows, practice, and other things piling up is all. 

Sungchan doesn’t say anything and instead starts analyzing the other boy’s face and Chenle tries not to freak out. He’s so focused on keeping a straight face though that he doesn’t think about his scent. He only notices once he realizes that Sungchan has started emitting his own woodsy scent in response. 

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Sungchan asks again.

This time around, Sungchan asks more gently and Chenle’s inner omega can feel the concern in the other’s voice which is not good. It makes him want to spill everything and he can’t do that. However, at this point, he’s going to have to admit something or else his omega is just going to get antsy not giving into the concern. Sometimes he really hates being an omega, most of the time it’s fine but in situations like these it’s less than ideal.

“Ok fine. I’ll tell you. But you can’t say anything!”

“I won’t!”

“Ok. Ummmm. It’s kind of about Jisung. Long story short, I kind of feel like we’re not as close anymore and I wanted to talk with him about it.”

His statement is true, it’s just not the whole truth. Saying it out loud though kind of makes it worse and he doesn't want to think too closely about it. Thinking too closely means he’ll have to address his feelings for the other and he can barely think of what he’s going to do tomorrow. 

The young alpha senses Chenle’s anxiety and he starts releasing his woodsy smell again to try and help the omega. Sungchan thinks there’s something more to what Chenle told him, but he doesn’t want to pry for answers. However, if it’s about Jisung, then he may be able to help. He apologizes to the omega in his head for what he’s about to do later, but it should help. 

“I think talking with him is a good idea!” Sungchan ends up saying. He doesn’t want Chenle to suspect he’s up to something.

“Really?” Chenle asks suspiciously. 

“Yeah! I mean, talking things out usually helps. It’s not going to hurt to tell him how you’re feeling.”

  
  
The vocalist’s gaze seems to intensify at Sungchan’s answer, but he doesn’t comment on it.

  
  
“Well, I’m planning on talking to him tomorrow so I hope you’re right.”

  
  
Just then, a car pulls up in front of the building and Sungchan alerts Chenle who has his back to the window. 

“I think your mom’s here.”   


  
Chenle looks over his shoulder and then stands up.

  
  
“Yeah that’s her! Thanks for waiting with me.”

  
  
“No problem!”

  
  
“See you later!”

“Bye!”

Sungchan waits until Chenle is safely in the car before heading out. Little does the vocalist know, Jisung misses him too and Sungchan wants to help both of them. Plus, that would free him up to fix his own relationship with a certain omega.

* * *

When Shotaro wakes up, he feels off. However, he doesn’t have much time to think about it when he takes a look at his phone and sees multiple calls and texts from Chenle. After dinner yesterday, he had basically passed out because he was so tired. The only thing he really remembers from yesterday was sitting on his bed, about to fall asleep, when he heard Jisung and Sungchan talking in the other room.

Shotaro was waiting for Sungchan to come back to the room when he suddenly heard them talking in the living room. He’s usually not one to eavesdrop, but he was curious and he had heard them drop Chenle’s name so he wanted to find out if anything was wrong with the other omega.

What he ended up hearing was actually great news. Sungchan was convincing Jisung to talk to Chenle and from the maknae’s reaction, it seemed like he had missed Chenle too. Sungchan had also implied something about Jisung’s feelings for Chenle and Shotaro had felt relieved at that fact. Chenle had told him before that he had liked Jisung as more than a friend and even though Jisung hadn’t admitted it directly, Shotaro could read between the lines.   
  
He saw how close the two were and now that he had this information he could encourage the younger omega even more. Of course, he’s not going to just tell Chenle that Jisung feels the same since it’s not his place, but now he knows how much he can push him. After that, Shotaro had retreated back to the bedroom and promptly fallen asleep.

Knowing everything that happened yesterday also helps him decipher some of Chenle’s panicked texts and calls. Apparently, he had told Sungchan that he was going to talk to Jisung about not being close anymore and then he had freaked out because he thought Sungchan figured out his feelings for Jisung. 

Shotaro quickly responds with something comforting and then does his best to reassure Chenle that talking to Jisung is the right idea. He can practically see the vocalist freaking out through his texts filled with excessive emojis. He’s still in the middle of texting Chenle when he hears Sunghcan turn over in his sleep. The other isn’t awake yet and Shotaro freezes, hoping he doesn’t wake up. He doesn’t and Shotaro releases a small breath of relief.

When he sucks in another breath though, he suddenly pauses. Sungchan’s woodsy scent is stronger than normal, or he’s hallucinating. It smells so good though and Shotaro almost sighs contentedly when he realizes what he’s doing and quickly tears his eyes away from his friend.  _ What’s wrong with him?  _ He’s definitely not going back to sleep now, he might as well just get up.

Shotaro quietly grabs some clothes and his phone before slipping out of the room. He heads to the bathroom next and tries to be as quiet as possible since some of the other dream members are still sleeping. He can hear one person moving about in the kitchen/living room area and assumes it’s Jaemin since they have practice together soon. The omega quietly goes about his morning routine and is about to leave the room when a thought suddenly strikes him.  _ Is my heat coming up? _ It would explain why he’s feeling kind of off, but he really hopes that it isn’t true. Shotaro suddenly closes the door again and then pulls out his phone to check the app he uses to track his heat. 

It says he’s not due for another two days, but sometimes he’s early so maybe he should do something. Using some scent blockers wouldn’t hurt, and maybe he should pack a bag of clothes too in case he has to move to one of the heat rooms. Shotaro crouches down and opens the cabinet under the sink to look for the scent-blocking ointment they usually store in there. He finds it within a few seconds and then quickly grabs it. Fortunately, it still feels pretty full so there will be plenty left.

The omega squirts some of the ointment onto his hand and then proceeds to rub some of it on the scent glands on either side of his neck. He actually prefers the cream over the actual patches because he doesn’t like how noticeable the patches are. Once he’s sure that the cream is rubbed in, Shotaro puts the bottle back and then exits the bathroom.

He honestly doesn’t feel that bad, normally he gets pretty tired before his heat hits so maybe he’s overreacting. He would rather be safe than sorry though. The omega stops by the room again to put his pajamas away and then pack some things for practice. He also makes sure to pack an extra couple of outfits into his bag in case his heat decides to hit. Then he heads to the kitchen to get some food.

Just like he predicted, Jaemin is also in the kitchen and cooking breakfast for himself. When he sees the omega he gives him a friendly smile which Shotaro easily returns.

“Good morning!”

  
  
“Good morning! What are you cooking?”

  
  
Shotaro approaches the beta and peers over his shoulder. The other boy is cooking an omelet.

“It looks good!”

  
  
“Thanks! Do you want one?”

  
  
“Yes please!”   
  
Jaemin has Shotaro sit on one of the barstools while he cooks for him and Shotaro is grateful. When he tried to help, Jaemin had immediately fussed over him and told him not to worry about it and to let him do it. Shotaro had figured out very quickly not to argue with Jaemin when he’s in this mode so he had easily conceded and is now scrolling through his phone in the meantime. A few minutes later, Jaemin has finished cooking and he sets a plate in front of Shotaro before taking a seat next to the omega. The two of them eat peacefully and occasionally talk about something, and it’s nice. The two of them are both kind of introverted so it works, they understand that the silence isn’t awkward. 

After breakfast, Jaemin and Shotaro decide to head over to the practice rooms together since they’re both in the same unit now. They talk about how fun Make A Wish is and also some of the more difficult dance moves on the walk to the building. Jaemin is a calming presence and Shotaro enjoys getting to spend a little more time with the same age boy. He’s quite quirky once he’s comfortable and Shotaro thinks it’s funny.

Shotaro is glad he grabbed one of his warmer coats this morning since it’s actually pretty cold outside. Jaemin also has his parka on and the two of them make sure to actually walk at a normal pace this time. Usually, when he’s walking with other people, he slows down but it’s too cold out and both of them want to get inside. When they reach the entertainment building, the blast of heat is welcome. It’s like being wrapped in a warm blanket and Shotaro doesn’t want to move.

He feels Jaemin pull on his arm gently a few seconds later though and quietly follows his lead. They make their way to the elevator and ride it up to the second floor where their usual practice room is. When the doors open, Shotaro can already hear Lucas’s loud voice and the chaos that is the Make A Wish unit. He looks over at Jaemin and the two share a look before stepping out and making their way to the practice room. Lucas waves enthusiastically at them when they enter and Shotaro waves back happily. 

They’re the last two to arrive, but they’re not late so it’s all good. Taeyong calls them all to gather around once Shotaro and Jaemin put their things to the side and then gives them a rundown for the practice session. It seems like their standard practice and Shotaro nods along as Taeyong continues explaining. He may not be at 100% but he’s still got plenty of energy to perform. They have a few minutes of break before their choreographer arrives and then it’s time to work. It’s going to be a rigorous practice.

  
  


* * *

There’s half an hour of dance practice left and Shotaro is realizing that he's definitely not fine. He started feeling bad about two hours ago but he powered through. Now, he feels like he’s about to collapse. He’s so hot and tired and the scents in the room are overwhelming. Looking in the mirror, he just looks extra flushed like he's been practicing too hard, but his body feels fuzzy. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he registers that his symptoms are something he should be worried about, but he can’t remember why.

All his energy is going towards staying upright and semi-executing the dance steps. Every time he moves a limb, it feels like he’s moving it through water. His head is kind of clear, he’s at least a little coherent but he’d be lying if he said he was entirely there. For the last half hour, Shotaro literally operates on fumes and he barely registers his body moving, but he makes it through. 

When he hears their choreographer announce that they've finished, he has to use everything in him to not just fall to the ground right there. They all thank the choreographer and then the second he leaves Shotaro shakily walks over the side where his bag is and drops to the ground. It’s a little rough since he didn’t really break his fall, but it works.

“Hard practice?” Someone asks.

Shotaro glances up and sees Jaehyun smiling at him sympathetically.

“Yeah,” he answers tiredly. 

The alpha suddenly narrows his eyes in concern and crouches down to Shotaro’s level. 

“Is everything ok? You look really flushed.”

  
  
“I’m...ok. I think I just practiced too hard and I haven’t really been getting a lot of sleep.”   


  
Jaehyun makes a sad noise and gently moves some of Shotaro’s hair out of his face. It makes the omega instantly freeze because why did that feel so nice? Suddenly, all he wants to do is curl up against the alpha and be taken care of. He doesn’t dare move an inch though out of fear of doing something embarrassing.

“You should take better care of yourself,” the vocalist advises and all Shotaro can do is nod.

“...From Home guys.”

Just then, Shotaro catches the tail end of what the other members are talking about and makes a confused face.

“What’s wrong with the From Home group?”

  
  
“Don’t worry! They’re ok, they just have to stay a little later since they’re performing soon and they need to work out last-minute kinks and stuff,” Jaehyun explains.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t soothe Shotaro’s worries, it actually makes it worse. When Chenle had texted him this morning, he had told the zero liner that he told Jisung to meet him on the first floor private lounge at 6 so they could talk after practice since the units had been finishing around the same time. However, the From Home unit is not done yet and Shotaro guesses that Chenle hasn’t had time to text his friend that he’d be late. 

The Make A Wish unit just got out and he’s barely had time to check his own phone for the time. Chenle and Jisung are so close to making up and possibly becoming something more, and Shotaro is not about to let their relationship crash and burn because of poor timing. He just prays that Jisung is still in the building and hasn’t left yet, he knows that Chenle will lose the courage to talk to him if he doesn’t do it today. Shotaro reaches into the front pocket of his jacket and frantically checks the time. It’s 6:45. If Jisung hasn’t left already, he’s probably about to.

Shotaro stumbles to his feet and Jaehyun helps steady him at the last second with a surprised noise. He wasn’t expecting the younger to suddenly leap up.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah I’m ok, I just need to talk to Jisung really quick!” The omega replies quickly.   
  
He hopes he looks ok enough, he tried to sound happy like his usual self. The alpha doesn’t look convinced, but at the mention of Jisung’s name, he lets the other go.

“Ok, be careful!”   


  
“I will!”   
  
As Shotaro quickly exits the room with his phone in hand, he hears Doyoung and Taeyong inquiring after him, but he knows that Jaehyun will handle it. The rapper unlocks his phone and types out a quick message to Chenle that he’s going to talk to Jisung so the other can see it when he can, and then steps into the elevator. It feels like nothing is fast enough and Shotaro just wants things to work out for his younger friends. Ugh, he prays that Jisung is still there.

When the doors finally open, Shotaro takes off down the right hallway towards the lounge, feeling like he’s in some kind of weird K-drama. Just as he’s a few feet away, the door swings open and Jisung steps out with a frown on his face as he glares at his phone like it’s personally offended him. Shotaro would laugh at him if he had the energy.

“Jisung!” He shouts. 

The maknae jumps back in surprise, but then his gaze softens when he sees Shotaro. 

“Taro-hyung!”   
  
The omega closes the rest of the distance and takes a few seconds to catch his breath before replying.

“You know you don’t have to be so formal with me anymore!”

  
  
“Sorry! It’s a habit,” the other replies sheepishly. “What are you doing here?”

  
  
“Oh yeah, don’t leave!” Shotaro says seriously. 

Jisung tilts his head in confusion and before he can say anything the zero liner continues.

“The From Home group has to stay a little later because they need to work out a few last-minute things. Chenle should be here soon though! He just didn’t have time to text you. Please don’t leave.”   
  


“Uhhh I-I won’t. I’ll wait.”

“Ok good.”

  
  
From the look on Jisung’s face, he probably didn’t know that Shotaro knew the two were meeting. Oh well, it was worth it if Jisung is staying. Now that the number one issue is solved, Shotaro takes some time to look around and sees a small bottle of chocolate milk sticking out in one of the pockets of Jisung’s backpack.

“Is that…?” He points to the milk.

Jisung looks down to his right and Shotaro watches as his face gets a little red, he’s clearly embarrassed. The slightly older rapper knows why. Chocolate milk is Chenle’s favorite and Shotaro knows Jisung got it for him. He smiles encouragingly at the other boy when he finally looks up.

“He’ll love it!”

  
  
“Really? It’s not a lot though.”

  
  
“Don’t worry about that. That’s not what he’s worried about.”

  
  
Shotaro laughs at Jisung’s reaction to his cryptic answer, but he’s not explaining anything, that’s for those two to work out.

  
  
“Alright I got to go but good luck! It’ll be fine!”

  
  
“Thanks!”   
  
Jisung waves at him as he turns around to go back to the MAW unit. He’s actually pretty proud of himself, but now he’s exhausted. He wants to get back as soon as possible, he needs some rest, some painkillers, and a break from all the scents. The rest of the trip back to the practice room is kind of a blur, that is until he reaches the elevator again. When the doors open, the first thing he sees is -

“Sungchan?”


	3. What are we?

It’s not that Shotaro doesn’t want to see Sungchan, it’s just that he’s surprised. They’re speaking again, but they haven’t exactly worked things out yet. He was planning on doing it today, but with how he’s feeling now, he’s probably going to have to wait to talk to his friend. Sungchan steps out onto the first floor and gives Shotaro a shy smile, however it quickly fades once he gets a good like at the omega.

“Are you ok?”

  
  
“I’ll be fine! I just need rest.”

  
  
“You look like you’re about to pass out, come on.”   
  
The alpha gently takes Shotaro’s arm and leads him to the closest open room by the elevator. He then makes sure that the other boy is seated comfortably on the couch before sitting down next to him. However, as he’s about to say something, it hits him. Shotaro is going into heat. Sungchan doesn’t know how he didn’t notice earlier, but now he does. The other must be wearing some kind of scent blocker because he wasn’t able to smell the omega’s heat scent before.

Now that he’s right next to Shotaro though, it’s glaringly obvious. He’s also flushed, lethargic, and his eyes are dilated.

“Shotaro,” Sungchan calls. The other slowly turns his head to look at him and Sungchan licks his lips nervously. Shotaro just looks so kissable right now and his inner alpha is screaming at him to do something, anything.

“A-are you...in heat?” 

The look that passes the rapper’s face next is not good, in fact, it’s one of mortification.

“What!? No! I-I can’t be. I mean maybe I might be since my heat sometimes comes early but I usually know the signs! It can’t have hit this fast I thought the earliest would be this evening!”

Shotaro shoots up from his place on the couch in a panic, but he’s quickly hit with a dizzy spell and almost falls if it isn’t for Sungchan’s quick reaction. The alpha has a steadying arm around his waist and it feels so right. He doesn’t want to admit it, but his inner omega is loving the attention he’s receiving right now, especially because it’s from the alpha that he wants. However, the sensation is amplified because of his heat. 

  
Logically, Shotaro knows they need to separate ASAP before things escalate, but he’s not in full control of his body or emotions right now. So when Sungchan suddenly turns Shotaro around to face him and he’s met with dark eyes filled with want, the omega can’t stop. Sungchan’s alpha pheromones almost rival Shotaro’s own heat ones and it’s both intoxicating and dizzying. 

Both of Shotro’s hands are firmly pressed against the alpha’s chest as the taller boy holds him close. Sungchan starts licking at the scent gland on the right side of his neck and earns a shiver from the slightly older boy. However, things change when both Sungchan and Shotaro pick up new smells. The alpha suddenly pulls back and Shotaro watches as he suddenly freezes. 

“It’s Chenle.”

Now normally, Shotaro wouldn’t mind Chenle’s presence, they are friends after all. However, in his heat-driven state, his jealous side starts to come out. Maybe it wasn’t a good thing to bottle everything up, because now the feelings he was trying to hide are starting to shine. He’s feeling angry, bitter, jealous, and a slew of other emotions he would rather not admit. He’s done being Sungchan’s second choice. Why does the alpha always choose other people over him? Even after Donghyuk and Mark got together, Sungchan still chose Jisung over him. Maybe he only kissed Shotaro because of his heat pheromones, he doesn’t  _ really  _ want him.

That’s the thought that has Shotaro pushing Sungchan away from him and the thought that sets him over the edge. 

“I’m leaving,” the omega announces curtly.

“Wait what? Is something wrong?” 

Sungchan stares at him with confused eyes and the omega tries not to cave.

“I need to go. We can’t be together, I need to get back to the dorm.”

  
  
The omega turns to leave but Sungchan suddenly reaches out and grabs onto his arm.

“Shotaro, wait, let me take you back!”

  
  
“Sungchan no.”

  
  
The alpha looks shocked at his answer, but Shotaro’s dead serious. He’s giving him a sad, kicked puppy look, and for some reason that gets an answer out of the omega. 

“I just can’t,” Shotaro says shakily. “I can’t be around you right now when I know that this doesn’t mean anything, especially right now.”

  
  
“What?”

  
The omega slowly takes his arm back and tries his best to ignore the desperate look on his friend’s face. He needs to say this now for his own sake, it’s been killing him and he knows that soon enough he’ll be too incoherent to actually say it again.

  
  
“Sungchan, I can’t...no, I won’t keep being your second choice. Do you think it doesn’t hurt seeing you choose everyone else over me?! Because it does!”

  
  
He’s getting upset, but he can’t seem to stop. Sungchan doesn’t say anything, but he looks like a bucket of ice water has been dumped over him and his scent is souring with the tense atmosphere. Shotaro’s sure he isn’t faring much better though. 

“We used to be so close and now I barely see you even though we’re roommates! You’ve always got time for Donghyuk and Jisung but not me. And I know it’s selfish but I can’t keep doing this. We both deserve better,” the omega ends stably. 

He’s proud that he’s kept his voice steady so far, but it’s not going to last for long. His vision is blurry and he needs to leave before he actually starts crying because then he would actually be done for.

“I’m going back to the dorm,” he finishes, and he leaves no room for argument.

  
  
He also doesn’t leave room for Sungchan to follow him. He can practically feel the alpha’s eyes boring into his back and he smells the alpha’s sadness, but he doesn’t stop. They can fix things later, but right now, none of them are in the right mind to solve anything. Unfortunately, fate really seems to hate him today and he runs into Chenle and Jisung, literally, as he’s trying to exit. He ends up crashing into Chenle, almost knocking him over, but the younger boy and Jisung catch him. Chenle is about to ask what happened when Shotaro steps back slightly and the two get a good look at his face.

There’s a tense silence as Chenle and Jisung look from Shotaro to Sungchan, and then things escalate. 

“What did you do?” Jisung asks Sungchan lowly.

  
Shotaro’s never seen Jisung angry before, and he’d really rather not witness it when it’s partially his fault. It also doesn’t help that Jisung is younger than Sungchan and the slightly older alpha seems to be taking Jisung’s statement as a challenge. His scent sharpens and he glares at the maknae, but he fortunately doesn’t say anything back.

Next to him, Chenle makes a sad noise at the other’s tears and gently grabs Shotaro’s arm.

“Are you ok?”

  
  
“I’m ok.”

  
  
Shotaro feels bad lying to the younger boy, but he feels like crap and his inner omega is making him irrational. It’s telling him that Chenle’s his enemy and that he needs to go to his alpha, neither of which he believes. When the other omega frowns at his answer Shotaro tamps down the voice in his head to try and ease the other. 

“I’ll be ok. I just need to get back to the dorm.”

He quickly swipes at his eyes and tries to move towards the door, but his limbs feel like lead and he’s suddenly falling to the floor again. He hears voices calling his name and someone holding his arm, but it’s all hazy. His heat combined with the exhaustion he’s been feeling the past few weeks is catching up to him. For a minute he thinks he might even pass out. Everything is fuzzy but he can still make out shapes and scents. He makes out Chenle's figure right next to him, trying to help, and Jisung and Sungchan's figures in the background arguing. He sees Jisung take a couple of steps back when Sungchan starts moving forward, trying to block the omegas, and he prays that this doesn't get any worse.

The two alphas are yelling at each other, but Shotaro can't really make out what they're saying. He starts to tune in a little more though when the figures are suddenly right in front of them and then he hears Chenle whimper next to him. The amount of alpha pheromones in the room could fill a concert hall. The alpha is practically begging the omegas to submit to him, and although it's causing Shotaro to react to him, it's causing Chenle pain and he hears the growls start to pick up again. Jisung is likely not happy about Sungchan trying to control Chenle.

He can smell Jisung and Chenle pretty clearly now, but all Shotaro can focus on is Sungchan’s woodsy smell. Sungchan’s scent is far more alluring and it’s making his own body react.  He can feel slick start to leak out and he’s aware that his body is burning, but he can’t do anything. Then there’s another presence next to him and he hears multiple people exclaim “hyung!” and figures that maybe new people have arrived. Suddenly, he’s being lifted into someone’s arms and blindly reaches out to hold onto the person.

The face seems familiar and so does the language suddenly being spoken to him, but he can’t place it right now. The person is warm and he likes their comforting scent. It’s one of the alphas, he can tell from the pheromones, but he’s too out of his mind to think of exactly who it is. Shotaro gently rests his head on the person’s chest and tries to focus on not completely giving in to his heat. 

He’s exhausted, his body is burning up, he’s beyond embarrassed, and he just wants to forget this ever happened. The last thing he remembers is a familiar voice calling after him as he’s taken away, and then he closes his eyes.

  
  
  
  
  


* * *

When Shotaro wakes up, he recognizes that he’s not in his shared bedroom with Sungchan. He’s lying on an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room that’s oddly neutral. There are only a few things he recognizes such as some of his own clothes, Yuta’s hoodie lying next to him, and two scent blankets lying around him. _ Huh. I don’t remember making a nest, but I guess I did _ . The omega sits up with a groan and tries to assess what’s happening.

He feels less horrible than earlier, but still not great. His stomach hurts and he’s still hot, So basically, he’s still in heat. At least he’s not as desperate without Sungchan around. The omega frowns as he recalls how he acted around the alpha the other day or was it only a few hours ago? He doesn’t even know what time it is.

Just then, he hears a knock on the door and instantly curls up anxiously. However, he relaxes a bit when he recognizes Yuta’s smoky scent. The door opens slowly and the alpha peaks in cautiously, but when he sees that the younger boy is up he immediately flashes him a bright smile.

“Taro you’re up!”

He shuffles into the room, closes the door, and then makes his way towards the omega. He looks to Shotaro for permission though to enter his nest when he gets close enough. The rapper shyly moves over a bit to give the older enough room and then nods at him. Yuta smiles encouragingly at him before taking a seat and resting against the headboard. He opens an arm, signaling Shotaro to cuddle into him if he wants, and the omega does.

Yuta is a comforting and calm presence and Shotaro is glad to have his hyung there. His omega is simply content in the alpha’s side and he doesn’t feel the urge to do anything sexual. He would probably die of embarrassment if he did something like that in front of his hyung. For now, this is enough. The omega soaks in the other’s affection and tries to get as comfortable as he can before his heat flares up again. He’s nearly asleep when Yuta suddenly speaks.

“You can talk to me, you know that right?” The older one asks in Japanese.

  
  
Shotaro blinks his eyes open and looks at Yuta’s serious expression.

“I know,” he answers back softly.

  
  
“Taro, I know you’re not ok,” is what the older boy ends up replying with.

  
  
“What?”   


  
The alpha sighs, but it’s not disappointed, as he runs a hand through Shotaro’s hair.

“I’ve noticed how down you’ve been lately, how quiet you’ve been. I’m not the only one either, the others have also noticed. You don’t seem like yourself and whenever you’re with Sungchan, things seem off. You don’t act like how you used to with him and he acts differently too.”

  
  
Shotaro looks down at his hand that’s resting on Yuta’s stomach so he doesn’t have to look the older in the eye. He doesn’t want to talk about this, but at the same time, he does. It’s painful to even think about what he’s been feeling the past few weeks, but keeping it in is almost worse. He hates crying, especially in front of the hyungs, but he can’t stop the flood of emotions. He’s aware that his scent is becoming damp with distress at his emotional turmoil, but that’s the least of his problems.

Yuta’s own scent changes in response as he tries to provide comfort and he starts rubbing a soothing hand up and down the omega’s arm.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you upset, we’re just worried! You don’t have to say anything right now if you don’t want to.”

Shotaro doesn’t say anything for a few more minutes as he continues to cry softly, and Yuta lets him. It pains him to see his younger brother like this and he desperately wishes he knew what was going on, especially because of what happened earlier. Eventually, the omega is down to just sniffles and he carefully pulls away from where his head was resting on Yuta’s chest. 

“I’m sorry about your shirt.”

  
  
“Don’t worry about it, you’re more important.”

A small smile graces the younger’s face and Yuta gently grabs the back of Shotaro’s head to push it back to resting on the alpha’s chest. Yuta feels him take in a deep breath and waits to hear what he’ll say.

  
  
“Things with Sungchan aren’t great, at least from my end.”

  
  
Yuta hums to let the other know he can continue and that he’s listening.

“He started hanging out with Hyuk all the time and barely even talked to me. I could even tell that it was bothering Mark hyung. I knew that they had gotten closer, but I didn’t think that would mean he’d stop talking with me. Sungchan even started complimenting Donghyuk all the time and he called him cute on the radio and he’s always bragging about him and it just got on my nerves.

Then, Donghyuk and Mark got together and I thought everything would be solved. It wasn’t though. I thought we’d start hanging out together again and everything would go back to normal, but then he started hanging out with Jisung all the time! That’s partially why Chenle and I started taking walks together and doing more things. I really thought we’d go back to normal, but then he chose yet another person over me and it sucked.

I’m just-,” Shotaro pauses to take a breath, though it comes out laced with sadness. “I’m just tired of being his second choice. I thought it’d always be the two of us but now I’m starting to think he never saw me the way I see him.”

  
  
Yuta pulls the younger boy closer to him for a hug.

“I’m sorry, it sounds like you’ve been struggling with this for a while. I didn’t realize this was hurting you so much. We all noticed how Sungchan had been hanging out with the others more, but we didn’t really think much of it.”

  
  
“It’s ok, it’s not your fault.”

  
  
“I’ll try and help as best I can. Now you don’t have to answer this, but from what you said am I right in assuming that you like Sunghan?”

Shotaro sees the knowing look in Yuta’s eyes and knows that he can’t lie.

“Yes, but it’s not like it’s going anywhere now.”

  
  
The omega expects an immediate response after that, but Yuta actually remains silent and he seems to be thinking. It makes Shotaro extremely nervous but also a little curious.

  
  
“I wouldn’t say that for sure,” he ends up responding.

Shotaro frowns. He’s pretty sure Sungchan doesn’t have any feelings for him, especially now.

“You obviously don’t have to do this now, but I think you and Sungchan really need to talk. And even if he doesn’t feel the same way,” Yuta says the last part suspiciously, “Then you’ll find someone else.”

  
  
_ But I don’t want someone else.  _ The rapper doesn’t say anything as he processes what both his mind and heart are telling him.

“Listen, I’m not going to push you more today. You need rest, but I just wanted to pop in to check on you and let you know that the others are asking about you, especially Sungchan. Remember, you don’t have to do anything right now, just think about it. And if you need anything just let me know.”

“You really are like my senpai,” Shotaro decides to tease gently.

“What do you mean  _ like _ ? I  _ am  _ your senpai!”

Yuta ruffles Shotaro’s hair affectionately and pokes him playfully before getting up. The omega is sad to see him go, but the older is right. He does need the rest. The alpha makes sure he’s finally settled in his nest before leaving and Shotaro is incredibly glad Yuta came. He needed that.

The rest of the day goes by in a blur. He spends most of it being in a semi-conscious state as he rides out his heat. Yuta comes in again around dinner time because he tells Shotaro so and makes sure the younger eats a little bit even if it is just a protein bar. He also updates him on the other members and Shotaro learns a little more of what happened after he and Sungchan were separated.

Apparently, it was Yuta, Taeyong, and Jaehyun who had found them. Yuta had immediately scooped Shotaro up to take him back once he realized that the other was in heat. Sungchan had not been happy about being separated and Taeyong and Jaehyun had a difficult time talking him down.

They also had to calm down Jisung as well since he was still upset at Sungchan for making Shotaro cry and for trying to make Chenle submit, but they had eventually got things under control with the omega's help. Chenle had been the only one to really get through to Jisung. Yuta had also revealed that Chenle and Jisung were together now and that was partially why Jisung reacted so strongly.

Sungchan had felt incredibly guilty and had apologized profusely to both Jisung and Chenle once he was in a better mindset. That was relieving, the pack didn't need another fight. Shotaro was also excited for his friends, they finally got together. He knew that the two had talked and apparently it had gone well. He’s happy for them.

Yuta waits until the omega has finished eating a little bit, since he’s not super hungry due to his heat, before leaving. After that, Shotaro doesn’t have much else to do. He takes some painkillers and then just curls up in his nest hoping for sleep.

He does get some sleep, but it’s not the best quality and he keeps waking up. At one point, he wakes up hot and sweaty after a particularly disturbing dream he has about Sungchan. In his dream, Sungchan keeps abandoning him and leaving him to die in various scenarios. It’s not pleasant.

He has one good dream that builds off of when he and Sungchan made out earlier, but it quickly escalates and Shotaro gets so embarrassed that he ends up waking himself up. He knows he shouldn’t be ashamed, and quite honestly his body is begging for the alpha, but he just can’t give in to it, not after what happened. He feels guilty about what happened so he’s holding back his urges.

He knows it’s not healthy, but he almost feels like he deserves it. Maybe then he’ll be able to face Sungchan. The way he is right now, the omega doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to talk to his friend again. The incident was absolutely mortifying and now he doesn’t even know where he stands with Sungchan anymore. 

And that’s what sticks in his mind as Shotaro ends up falling into a jarring state of half-consciousness. He’s not fully asleep, but he’s not really awake either. It feels like he’s seeing through a monotone filter and as if he’s being weighed down by one hundred pounds. Even moving one inch is a burden and everything is dull, even the sounds he’s hearing are muffled. Something is wrong, this is not what sleep normally feels like, and this is not what his heat normally feels like.

  
  
Honestly, the omega is starting to panic because he doesn’t know what’s happening and he can’t seem to get his body to cooperate. The best he can do is just hope that the feeling fades and pray that someone will come to check on him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the symptoms start to click but he can’t think of what they mean right now. The only other thing he can focus on right now is his restless inner omega. Shotaro can tell because his scent is flaring, his skin is crawling, and it’s like he’s experiencing his five senses times ten, everything is amplified and it’s terrifying.

Time seems to pass by as if in a vacuum, it’s like nothing and everything is happening at the same time. He can’t move his body, so he’s just forced to look up at the ceiling. It feels like years have passed and also like he’s trapped in the past and everyone else is moving on. Unfortunately, enduring the feeling is his only option even though he’s screaming for help in the inside.

At some point, the paralysis seems to have faded, but not enough for him to sit up. He can twitch his finders, blink, and move his head slightly, but that’s about it. It’s horribly frustrating and scary and he just wishes the torture would end. The omega ends up just closing his eyes and trying to relax as best he can.  _ Ok. Just calm down. You’re going to be fine, just try and get some rest. Don’t think. Don’t think. Don’t think. Don’t _ ….


	4. Defining

It’s seven am when Sungchan is suddenly awoken by a pang in his stomach. He immediately shoots up and tears open his eyes only to be met with a half-empty room. The alpha looks around and pauses when his eyes land on Shotaro’s empty bed. He feels horrible. After their fight, it really started to sink in how badly he’d been treating the other boy. He didn’t mean to hurt him, but he did and now he has to fix it. Shotaro’s honestly one of the only people that Sungchan considers to really know him. He relates to the other rapper on a deeper level and he just assumed that it would always be that way. He didn’t even once consider that they’d never be friends, but now he knows that was naive. He didn’t mean to ignore Shotaro so much, and hearing directly from the older exactly how much it had hurt him had been Sungchan's wake-up call. 

He’s not willing to lose Shotaro, especially since he still harbors feelings for the other. He definitely needs to be better at expressing it though. How was Shotaro supposed to know if Sungchan didn’t say anything? Speaking of the omega, Sungcan’s instincts are screaming at him to go to his side. Something is wrong, the pull in his stomach is nothing like the pull he felt the other day when he was angry about the hyungs separating him from the Japanese boy. This pull feels more like a protective instinct, and Sungchan would be a fool to ignore it.

The alpha quickly grabs his hoodie and rushes to the front door to find his shoes. He considers leaving a note for the Dreamies telling them where he’s going, but he doesn’t have enough time. The hyungs will find he’s at their dorm in a few minutes anyway. With that, Sungchan slips out and dashes across the street into the other residential building. 

He’s met with harsh, bright lighting and a weird look from security, but is eventually let in since they recognize the idol. As he takes the elevator up to the NCt 127 floor, he feels the pull get stronger, and his nose starts to twitch as it tries to pick up Shotaro’s scent. There’s a knot in Sungchan’s chest as he imagines the worst, but he tries his best to tamp it down. He just prays that one of the hyungs is up and will answer the door.

The elevator dings and the door slides open a second later and Sungchan cautiously steps out onto the carpeted floor.  _ What if I’m wrong and I’m freaking out about nothing? But what if I’m not and Taro really does need help?  _ In the end, his gut wins out and he decides that he’d rather be safe than sorry. He’d rather make sure Shotaro is safe and be wrong than abandon him again if he actually needs help. 

The alpha makes his way down to the right door and then knocks as loud as he can. After no one answers, Sungcahn sucks in a frustrated breath before knocking again and yelling this time. He’s just about to give up and go downstairs to use the front desk phone when he suddenly hears tired footsteps approaching the door.

The person stops at the door and Sungchan assumes that they’re looking through the peephole to see who it is. 

“Hyung?” Sungchan tries again.

“Oh! Sungchan?” He hears a muffled voice ask. 

The rapper just nods and then the door suddenly swings open. Sungchan is met with a tired-looking Taeyong and instantly feels guilty. He really put the leader through the wringer the other day and now he’s waking him up at seven am. Taeyong rubs his eyes and then takes a good look at the younger boy before frowning. 

“What’s wrong?”

“I-,”  _ what is he supposed to say? He’s going to sound like a crazy person, but oh well, Shotaro’s worth it. _

“Something’s wrong with Shotaro! I can feel it. My alpha’s reacting to him, and it’s not normal.”

  
  
“Shotaro’s fine Sungchan. You don’t need to worry. Yuta checked on him last night before he went to bed.”

  
  
“I know I know, but something’s changed! Please believe me! I’m not just saying this because my hormones are all over the place and all that crap. There’s really something wrong! I don’t know why I can sense it, but I can! You don’t even have to let me see him, just please check on him. Please!”

  
  
Taeyong must sense the desperation in his voice because he eventually sighs and then gestures for the alpha to come in. Sungchan’s grateful that the other is taking a chance on him because he’s sure he looks insane right now. Honestly, if he was in Taeyong’s position, he probably wouldn't listen to himself.

“Stay out here in the living room. I’ll go check on him,” the older boy whispers.

Sungchan nods and plants himself on the sofa nearest the hallway. He watches Taeyong’s retreating back as he heads to the heat room at the end of the hallway and tries not to freak out. His inner alpha is not happy that it’s being forced away from Shotaro again, but he can’t really help that right now. He’s lucky that Taeyong even let him in.

When the door opens, Sungchan picks up a whiff of Shotaro’s scent, and it instantly puts him on edge. A second later, the door closes and then the scent blockers take effect again, successfully preventing the others from smelling Shotaro. However, Sungchan smelled enough. He was right. Something is wrong, and it’s both affirming and terrifying. He’s glad that he was right, but he’s also anxious because Shotaro really isn’t ok and he can’t do anything.

The omega’s scent is musky, and not in a good way. When omega’s give off that scent, it’s usually not a good sign, it’s almost equivalent to him almost emitting no scent which is also concerning. Sungchan tries to distract himself by pulling at some of the loose couch strings and breathing deeply, but it doesn’t do much. Eventually, he hears the door open again and he shoots his head up to find Taeyong quietly slipping out of the room. When he turns around, Sungchan can see the frown on the leader’s face and feels his stomach sink. Taeyong lightly makes his way down the hallway until he reaches the sofa and then fixes Sungchan with a serious look. 

The first signs of sunlight are streaming in and it makes Taeyong look practically ephemeral which is in contrast to the serious expression gracing his features.

“What’s wrong?” The younger boy asks.

“I’m pretty positive that he’s experiencing a drop, but I don’t know for sure. I need to confirm with one of the omegas. I’m going to pop into Doyoung’s room and get him to check on Shotaro. I need you to stay here though.”

  
  
“In the living room? Sungchan follows up carefully.

“...yes.” Now that makes Sungchan worry, the fact that Taeyong hesitated. There’s something more. “I need you to stay here just in case this is what I think it is.”

  
  
The rapper doesn't even get another word in before the other is walking away. Now he’s really confused. He thought it was for sure an omega drop, but maybe it’s not or maybe it’s not a normal drop because of what Taeyong just said. All the possibilities are making his head spin, but what he does know is that he’ll help in whatever way he can.

Sungchan can only watch as Taeyong pops into Doyoung’s shared room and then emerges with him a second later. From Doyoung’s slightly sour scent, Sungchan can tell that he’s also worried. The vocalist suddenly looks his way and then quickly back at Taeyong before asking something and the younger can only assume Taeyong told him the situation. Then the two of them head to the heat room, open the door, and then disappear again.

Waiting is literally agony and Sungchan kind of just wants to bust the door down so he can see for himself what’s going on. He doesn’t though. At some point, while the other two are still in the room, Yuta pops out from his shared room with Doyoung. He pauses for a good few seconds and Sungchan can practically see the wheels in his head turning. Then, he glances at the living room and makes sharp eye contact with the 01 liner. It makes Sungchan instantly straighten up and he remains frozen as Yuta slowly makes his way over.

When he’s close enough, he casually leans on the sofa, but his posture is far from relaxed. He looks calm but calculating and it’s kind of intimidating.

“What’s going on?”

  
  
“Ummm. Shotaro might be experiencing a drop so Taeyong-hyung and Doyoung-hyung are checking on him.

That gets a reaction out of the Japanese man.

“What?! He looked fine when I left, I wonder what happened. Wait, why are you here then?”

“I uh- had the feeling that something was wrong so I came up just to make sure. Then Taeyong-hyung told me to stay here.”

  
  
Yuta scans his face neutrally, but Sungchan knows better than to think that Yuta is passive to all this. There’s something protective and knowing about his eyes that lets Sungchan know that the older definitely knows something he doesn't. However, before he can ask his hyung any questions, the heat room door opens again and they both snap their gazes over to watch.

Both Taeyong and Doyoung look surprised to see Yuta up, but they don’t mention it. Instead, they approach the sofa carefully and Sungchan notices the anxious look Doyoung shoots at Yuta.

“How is he?” Yuta whispers.

“It’s definitely a drop,” Doyoung confirms. “But-,”

“But?”

“It seems like it’s self-induced?”

  
They all frown at that.

“I thought all drops were self-induced?” Sungchan ads.

“No. Most drops are actually a result of environmental stressors like heat, stress, physical distress, but sometimes they can be caused by emotional turmoil like when the omega is in a really bad mental state or in emotional turmoil. I’m not one hundred percent sure, but I’m pretty sure it’s self-induced as a result of emotional conflict because his smell is musky. If he shut down for physical reasons then he would have no smell at all, but he does and it’s pungent.”

There’s a long beat of silence as they all soak in what Doyoung said. Eventually, it’s Taeyong who breaks the silence.

“So what should we do?”

  
“I think...it might help to address the source of the stress,” the omega states as he looks directly at Sungchan.

“Me?”

  
“Sungchan, I don’t mean to single you out, I know you didn’t mean to hurt Shotaro, but I know you two fought the other day. I know that there’s been some tension between you two for a while that just blew up the other day and I just think that being with Shotaro right now might help him. I don’t know one hundred percent that you’re what’s stressing him out, but it is a high possibility. I’m sorry to put such a big burden on you,” Doyoung apologizes.

  
  
“No, it’s ok. You’re right anyway. Even if I’m not the reason for this, I know I did cause him stress and I need to fix things anyway. I want to fix things. I-,”

  
“Wait, are you sure this is a good idea?” Yuta interrupts. 

  
The dancer doesn’t look angry per se, but he definitely doesn't look happy.

“What do you mean?”

  
  
“I mean, is it really a good idea to put the source of Taro’s stress in the same room as him while he’s in such a vulnerable state? He’s also still technically in heat.”

“Yuta, I know you mean well, but honestly there’s not much we can do to help if Sungchan really is the source. Shotaro needs to be reassured that things are ok between them or whatever they need to resolve in order for him to break his own self-induced state. Nothing we say or do will matter since we’re not the ones he’s worried about. At this point, his heat is probably being suppressed because of the state he’s in, getting him out of it is our number one priority.”

“...ok. If this is what Taro needs then I guess I can deal with it.”

“Thank you,” Sungchan directs at Yuta.

  
The older boy gives him a short nod and Sungchan knows that Yuta’s just worried. There’s no real animosity between them, Sungchan understands that Yuta just wants to help Shotaro. Plus, he was also the one who helped Sungchan calm down after Shotaro was first taken to the heat room after their fight.

“Ok, let’s go then.”

  
  
Doyoung jerks his head towards the door and Sungchan wordlessly stands up and follows him down the hallway. Right before the omega opens the door, the alpha suddenly realizes that he has no idea what to do or how to help.

“What do I do?” He frantically whispers. 

“Just stay as calm as you can, talk to him even though he may not be able to respond. Let him know that you’re there and that you want to help. The key is to reassure him, he’s probably feeling guilty right now and that may be one of the reasons for the drop in the first place.”

  
“Ok. Ok, I can do that. I can talk to him.”

  
  
“You’ll do fine, and if you need help we’ll be right out here!” Doyoung encourages.

“Ok.”   
  
Sungchan sucks in one last deep breath before Doyoung opens the door and then he steps into the room. He hears the door click behind him and his heart starts to race anxiously, but he knows that Shotaro’s probably just as, if not more, sacred than he is. The first thing he notices is the smell. It’s just as Doyoung said, it’s pungent and kind of overwhelming, but he can deal. The second thing he notices is Shotaro’s small frame on the bed. He’s on his back with his hands by his sides, but he looks far from comfortable. 

It’s unnerving and makes his alpha restless knowing that something is wrong. Since he’s not entirely sure what to do other than talk, Sungchan decides to listen to his instincts a bit. When his alpha decides that it needs to be closer to the omega, he listens. He gently takes one of Shotaro’s hands in his and instantly notices the lack of warmth despite the other still being in heat.

It’s almost surreal being this close to Shotaro again. Holding his hand feels so right and so wrong at the same time, mostly because he feels like he failed the older. Even though he can’t exactly read the omega’s mind, there’s something tugging at his heart and it feels as if his alpha is connected to the other and knows what’s going in. His alpha can feel Shotaro’s inner pain and cries for help as if the boy is saying them out loud.

Although it’s a bit awkward and kind of strange, Sungchan carefully moves Shotaro over so he can lie next to him. He feels the need to be close to him both physically and emotionally. Once he’s settled, he gently maneuvers Shotaro to rest on him and holds him close. It’s a bit odd since he has to do all the work and isn’t sure how the omega is going to react, but his alpha hums in satisfaction and it feels right so he just rolls with it.

After a few minutes of just lying together, Sungchan starts to notice Shotaro’s scent start to even out and become less pungent, and that’s also when he realizes that he needs to start talking. He’s not just here to cuddle, though it is nice, he’s here to sort things out and reassure the omega that they’re ok and that he doesn’t need to feel guilty.

“Ummmm, Taro I don’t really know if you can hear me, but I’m going to say this anyway. I’m sorry. I don’t have any excuses, I’m just-really sorry. I didn’t realize that I was hurting you when I was hanging out with the others. I just got so excited to make new friends and then I started talking to them about how I was feeling and it just got so easy to just turn to them all the time. I’m sorry again. I really didn’t mean to hurt you but I did, and I want to make it up to you. You’re the most important person in my life and I just want you to know what you’ve done nothing wrong. Doyoung-hyung said you may be feeling guilty but you don’t need to at all. You’re amazing and this is all just really my fault. I’m sorry, please come back! I want my best friend back and I swear I’ll try and make it up to you. I want to work on it, just name what I have to fix,” Sungchan ends a bit desperately.

  
  
He waits patiently for a response, and is slightly disappointed when he doesn’t get one, but also isn’t too devastated. He kind of hoped that Shotaro would just magically snap out of his drop, but he also knew that wasn’t very realistic. What he can control though, is himself right now. The alpha gently brushes some of the omega’s hair behind his ear and smiles softly. He looks so beautiful right now. If the circumstances weren’t so dire he’d definitely kiss the other.

He can’t really do much now, so he’ll just have to be content with holding Shotaro close. Sungchan does notice how Shotaro’s scent is no longer pungent though, and it’s starting to take back its sweet tones again. They’re getting somewhere. The alpha focuses on breathing evenly and notices the comfortable weight of the omega’s head on his chest and pure warmth his inner alpha feels cuddled up next to him. It feels right.

Sungchan observes Shotaro quietly for a few more minutes before closing his eyes. The omega’s scent hasn’t dipped or indicated a backward slide, so he might as well try and get in a quick power nap. It doesn’t take long before the younger boy feels himself falling into a deep sleep. And even in his dreams, all he can think about is Shotaro. His dreams consist of him and Shotaro on a nice date by the lake, having dinner together, but also scarier visions that involve Shotaro walking away, Shotaro getting taken from him, Shotaro getting hurt because of Sungchan. It’s an odd mix of dreams that has Sungchan reeling from emotional whiplash.

He’s in the middle of trying to push Shotaro out of the path of a car when he suddenly hears someone calling his name. It’s gentle, concerned, and sounds far away, but it instantly grabs Sungchan’s attention. Reluctantly, he lets himself float back to the world of the conscious and slowly opens his eyes. The sight he’s met with is entirely worth it. Shotaro is peering down at him with a small smile on his face, even though it’s tired. Sungchan stares back into his rich, brown eyes and notices that they’re still a little cloudy, but they’re alive.

“How are you feeling?” The omega asks lightly.

Sungchan smirks and raises himself into a sitting position so he can see his friend better.

“I should be the one asking you that!”

  
  
That’s when he notices and feels the distance. After Sungchan had woken up, Shotaro had immediately backed up and is now sitting as close as he can to the edge of the bed without actually hanging off of it. It stings a bit, but the rapper isn’t a fool. He knows why there’s distance between them now, even if he wishes there weren’t. Now that he’s really looking, he also sees how tired Shotaro looks.

His posture is slouched, there are bags under his eyes, his clothes are wrinkled, and Sungchan just gets the impression that Shotaro is  _ tired _ . He’s not just physically tired, but also emotionally drained, Sungchan can kind of relate. The alpha watches the other rapper's back carefully and observes the shallow, concentrated breaths he's taking. The omega doesn’t respond for a while, but that’s ok, there’s no pressure. After a few more moments of staring at the bedsheets, Shotaro turns his right shoulder back so he can partially face Sungchan.

“Why are you here?”

  
  
It’s not accusatory, but the tone isn’t exactly fully trusting either. 

“Because I felt that something was wrong.”

  
  
At that, Shotaro looks up with confused eyes and frowns at him.

“Ummm. I don’t really know how to explain this, but my alpha just felt that something was wrong. I could feel it in my gut that something was up so I came up here and asked Taeyong to check on you. He did and told us that you had dropped.”

  
  
“Oh. I didn’t realize, but that makes sense. I felt really weird like everything just shut down.”

“I’m sorry.”

  
  
“What?”

  
  
“It’s my fault. Doyoung said you had a self-induced drop because of the stress of our fight. I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to ignore you or start that fight or hurt you or-,” 

Before Sungchan can finish his rant, Shotaro suddenly interrupts.

“Stop.”

That shuts Sungchan up so fast he can almost hear his own mouth closing. Shotaro doesn’t look mad though so he’s a bit confused.

  
  
“Stop apologizing, I already heard you when you were talking to me earlier. I forgive you, really, but I just need some time. It’s just so hard to be around you right now when I’m still trying to sort out my own feelings and then I wake up next to you and it’s all so overwhelming because I want it so bad but I can’t and it’s just a lot,” Shotaro pants.

He ends up turning away again, but Sungchan can tell that he’s upset because his scent becomes damp. He wants to reach out and draw the omega into a hug, but he knows that would not be well received. Honestly, he’s kind of at a loss for words. He has no idea how to comfort his friend, he has no idea how he’s supposed to act. Maybe he should just go for it? Just the thought of suddenly confessing has his heart pounding and he can feel his palms start to become sweaty, but at the same time a feeling of resignation starts to set in.

He’s so terrified he thinks he’s about to throw up, but he doesn’t feel the urge to back out at all. It’s like he’s already committed, and even though his body is freaking out, his mind has entered an odd state of calm. It’s like time is slowing down and all he can see is Shotaro’s beautiful face when he suddenly blurts out-

“I love you.”

Shotaro stares back at him, mouth agape, eyes wide. When the omega doesn’t say anything after another long moment, Sungchan decides to repeat it.

“I love you!”

The older boy shakes his head as if to shake himself out of his stupor and lets out an exasperated laugh.

“I heard you the first time! I was just-I was just really surprised,  _ really  _ surprised. I didn’t think you liked me, do you mean it?”

  
  
Sungchan sees the insecurity flash on the omega’s face and instantly wants to resolve it.

“Of course I did! I’m so sorry I didn’t make it obvious earlier, I mean it definitely didn’t help that I ignored you for so long.”

  
  
Shotaro shrugs and nods in agreement.

“I didn’t know how else to cope with it. First I talked to Donghyuk about it and we both kind of related about having crushes, and then he and Mark got together. Then I started hanging out with Jisung for a similar reason and I really related to him a lot. It was just so easy to talk to them and pretend to act as if things were normal and without realizing I had just gotten so distracted by talking with them that I totally forgot to pay attention to how I was acting towards you.”

  
  
Shotaro hums as he contemplates what Sungchan just told him. His eyes look focused and the alpha wishes he knew what was going on inside his head. Eventually, Shotaro seems to make up his mind and Sungchan can see the conviction in his face. He sees it in the confident shine to the omega’s eyes, his stable scent, his relaxed posture.

“Thank you for telling me all this. It really does help! I-I don’t know if I’m quite ready for a relationship-,” Sungchan feels his heart sink and tries not to let the disappointment show. “But- that doesn’t mean that I don’t want one.”

  
  
At Sungchan’s confused expression, Shotaro immediately tries to clarify what he means.

“I think we need more time to fix our relationship and rebuild it before I can really commit to something romantic. I’m sorry, I don’t know if I made much sense.”

  
  
The omega has a nice tint to his cheeks as he says the last part and it’s obvious that he’s self-conscious. Although Sungchan is disappointed, he does understand. 

“I think I understand. It feels kind of weird to suddenly jump into a romantic relationship after we haven’t really talked in months. We need to find our rhythm again.”

  
  
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I meant. I just want you to know that my answer isn’t no. I-I would love at some point to date, but I think we need a little bit more time.”   
  


“I’m willing to wait.”

  
  
Shotaro is visibly flustered at his answer and Sungchan takes joy in watching his face burn and the fond smile that graces his features next. His inner alpha is satisfied at the sight and even though he can’t kiss him quite yet, he’ll settle for witnessing the omega’s happiness.

“Don’t just say stuff like that!”

“Sorry, sorry, I couldn’t help it! So,” Sungchan drawls, “are we friends again?”

“Yes! We always were, I was just kind of mad at you for a while.”

  
  
“Ok yeah, I deserved that. I’m glad we’re ok.”

“Me too.”

To say Sungchan is surprised when Shotaro suddenly scooches forward and envelopes him in a hug is an underestimate. He’s so caught off guard that he almost forgets to hug back, but he does. He wraps a careful arm around the omega’s back and holds him close, the weight is comfortable, the warmth is comforting, and it feels like they’re even more connected. Eventually, the rapper relaxes his hold and Shotaro makes himself comfortable on the bed again, lying peacefully on his side. 

He looks exhausted, and now that Sungchan’s really thinking, it hits him that Shotaro’s heat isn’t quite over. It’s not strong yet, but he can smell Shotaro’s vanilla scent, but more saccharine, starting to develop. On the one hand, it’s good that the omega is back on track, but on the other hand, it means Sungchan probably needs to leave right about now.

He slowly slips off the bed and tries not to coo when he sees Shotaro’s sleepy eyes following him.

“I’m gonna go now. You need the rest, but I’ll see you soon!”

  
  
“Promise?”

  
  
And because Sungchan can detect the slight uncertainty in the omega’s voice, he knows he needs to reassure him one last time.

“I promise.”   
  
He sneaks one final glance at the Japanese boy’s sleeping form, just to confirm that he is ok, before opening the door and quietly slipping out. For the first time since their argument, Sungchan feels and knows that they’re going to be ok. 

**Author's Note:**

> Do NOT repost to other sites without permission!! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Fake Alpha](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29708754) by [MistIolite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistIolite/pseuds/MistIolite)




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